Connector for an optical fiber

ABSTRACT

For the axial springing of the connector pin (1), the connector pin is held firmly in a receiving socket (3) which is connected via a spring element (6) with the actual connector body (2). The receiving socket, the spring element and at least a part of the connector body are integrally formed. Through suitable choice of material and shape, the spring element (4) obtains the required spring characteristics. By means of this design, the connector has only a few individual components and is easily assembled.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention concerns a connector for an optical fiber according to thepreamble of claim 1. In order to ensure permanent transmission quality,with most optical fiber plug connectors an axial spring system for theconnector pins is nowadays indispensable. The spring system causes thefaces of the opposing connector pins to be pressed against each other,and indeed just when a tensile loading is exerted onto the connectorbody on one side.

An optical fiber plug-in connector has already been made known throughDE-U-82 21 983.4, with which the connector pin is held within theconnector body via a spring-elastic intermediate member. The springelement can here be a coiled pressure spring, or, in accordance with oneembodiment, it can be also a membrane arranged directly on the connectorpin. In many cases, however, the connector pin is a high precisioncomponent made from a hard material, such as, for example, hard metal orceramic, so that integration of spring elements onto the connector pinis not possible. In practice, a separate coiled pressure spring forspringing of the connector pin has therefore become standard. Adisadvantage of known connectors is their relatively complicatedconstruction, demanding the assembly of numerous components, such as,for example, springs, retaining rings, ring nuts etc.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore a purpose of the invention to create a connector of thetype mentioned in the introduction, where the problem of axial springingof the connector pin is solved in the simplest way, and indeedindependent from the type of material from which the connector pin ismade. A further purpose of the invention is to reduce the effortrequired for assembly of the connector through a reduction in individualcomponents. This purpose is, according to the invention, solved with aconnector which possesses the features in claim 1. The integral form ofthe spring element, of at least one part of the connector body and, asthe case may be, of the receiving socket, has the effect that acomponent with the same spring characteristics is always available,independent from the choice of material for the connector pin. Laboriousassembly work, for example for deployment of a coiled pressure spring orsimilar, become completely superfluous. A unit, comprising receivingsocket, spring element and connector body, is manufactured withparticular advantage from plastic. By means of injection molding,relatively compact and complicated components can be produced. Withthat, it is for example also possible to form the spring element as askeleton type, interrupted, hollow, cylindrical section.

The connector pin can be manufactured from metal, metal-ceramic orceramic, and it can be glued into the receiving socket. In this way,also materials which are difficult to work can be employed without thespring mechanism demanding another type of construction. Naturally, theconnector pin can also be manufactured from a plastic material, incertain applications it being even conceivable that the connector pin isformed integrally with the receiving socket, respectively that an actualreceiving socket is completely dispensed with and that the connector pinis formed integrally with the spring element.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further advantages and individual features of the invention are evidentfrom the following descriptions and from the drawings. Namely:

FIG. 1 a perspective view of a partly cut-open connector possessing thefeatures of the invention,

FIG. 2 alternative detail views of the connector according to FIG. 1,and

FIG. 3 a cross section through a connector in a highly simplifiedrepresentation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A connector is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 which possesses a connector body 2as a central component which is formed integrally with a receivingsocket 3 and with a spring element 4. The receiving socket and thespring element have an approximately hollow-cylindrical shape, whilstthe connector body possesses an approximately rectangular crosssectional form. Likewise, a hub 5, for nonpositive accommodation of acable which is not more clearly shown here, is also formed integrallywith the connector body.

The connector body 2 has, on two opposing sides, a locking shoulder 9,which serves to lock the connector into a sleeve portion 14. For thispurpose, the sleeve portion has a spring action tongue 8, on the end ofwhich a locking catch 10 is arranged. On reaching the required insertdepth, the locking catch 10 engages behind the locking shoulder 9.

The actual connector pin 1, for example made from hard metal or ceramic,is glued into the receiving socket 3. An end piece 7, for protection ofthe connector pin, is snapped onto the connector body 2 with the aid oflocking tabs 12. The end piece has a bore 16 which surrounds the majorportion of the connector pin 1, an annular gap being formed between theinner wall of the bore and the connector pin.

The connector body 2 is mounted to be axially displaceable within aconnector housing 6. The connector housing 6 surrounds the major portionof the connector body and it is provided with a kink protector 11 at itscable end. It can be seen from FIG. 2 that the locking shoulder 9protrudes out of an opening in the connector housing 6 and that theconnector housing possesses an incline 13 on both sides of the lockingshoulder 9.

The incline 13 has the effect that, with a tensile force applied to theconnector housing 6, said connector housing travels backwards inrelation to the still firmly latched connector body 2, whereupon theincline 13 presses the locking catch 10 so far upwards until thisreleases the locking shoulder 9. Subsequently, the connector can bewithdrawn out of the sleeve portion 14. This system of Push-Pullconnection is in principle already known.

The spring element 4 is pierced, as a skeleton, so that in the axialdirection it possesses the required spring properties. The springelement 4, however, also limits the radial play of the connector pin 1in a particularly advantageous way. According to the design of thespring element, differing spring properties can be aimed at. Theconnector according to the FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises only three plasticcomponents, namely the connector body 2, the end piece 7 and theconnector housing 6. In addition, there is the connector pin 1, madefrom material adapted to any individual case. Evidently, this connectorcan be assembled very simply.

FIG. 3 shows once again the principle construction of the connectoraccording to FIGS. 1 and 2, in cross section. The connector housing isnot shown here. Naturally the connector body 2 could also possessanother shape, and, for example, be shaped rotationally symmetrical withthe end piece 7. Connectors on which numerous pins are held in anydesired arrangement are also conceivable.

Inasmuch as the invention is subject to modifications and variations,the foregoing description and accompanying drawings should not beregarded as limiting the invention, which is defined by the followingclaims and various combinations thereof:

What is claimed is a:
 1. Connector for an optical fiber having at leastone connector pin (1) and a connector body (2), the connector pin beingheld in the connector body by a spring element (4) biasing the pinaxially, wherein the spring element and at least one portion of theconnector body are integrally formed, and further comprising a pinsocket (3) in which the connector pin is held firmly, wherein the springis a skeleton type spring having an interrupted, hollow cylindricalreceiving section, said section being formed integrally with said pinsocket, and wherein the unit, comprising the pin socket, the springelement and the connector body, is manufactured from a plastic material.2. Connector according to claim 1, characterized in that the connectorpin (1) is manufactured from metal, metal-ceramic or ceramic and that itis glued into the receiving socket (3).
 3. Connector according to claim1, characterized in that the connector body is formed integrally with ahub (5) for accommodation of the optical fiber cable.
 4. Connectoraccording to claim 1, characterized in that an end piece (7), possessinga bore which surrounds the major portion of the connector pin (1), isable to be snapped onto the connector body (2).
 5. Connector accordingto claim 1, characterized in that the connector body (1) is mounted tobe axially displaceable within an outer connector housing.
 6. Connectoraccording to claim 5, characterized in that the connector body possessesat least one locking shoulder (9) for engagement of a locking catch (10)for the fastening of a sleeve portion (14), the locking shoulderprotruding out of an opening in the connector housing (6) and theconnector housing being provided with an incline (13) in the area of thelocking shoulder which, with a tensile loading on the connector housing,lifts the locking catch (10) out of the locking shoulder (9). 7.Connector according to claim 1, characterized in that the connector pin(1) is formed integrally with the spring element (4) and is directlyheld by the latter onto the connector body (2).